D&D 5E Running Rime of the Frost Maiden

[Reynard]

That's kind of problematioc though... Yetis are a sapient species.

Yeah, in addition to making the tykes a dwarf variety and reskinning other enemies into different subspecies, I am making them inherently evil non-people. I think maybe it will be the "reward" for Auril cultists: get transformed into a horrible monster! I will intentionally blur the yeti and wendigo I think, too.

I like stock enemies but I like them more when they are, like Nazis and zombies, guilt free kills for the heroes.

Also if it isn't clear thus far, I am not really going to be leaning into the horror aspects of the game. The trappings, sure, but that's all D&D. But I won't be trying to make this a "horror campaign."

 

[Zaukrie]

That's kind of problematioc though... Yetis are a sapient species.

hard to say how that would work in a starving situation.......I mean, some people won't eat dogs or cats, where would you draw the line?

 

[Zaukrie]

Yeah, in addition to making the tykes a dwarf variety and reskinning other enemies into different subspecies, I am making them inherently evil non-people. I think maybe it will be the "reward" for Auril cultists: get transformed into a horrible monster! I will intentionally blur the yeti and wendigo I think, too.

I like stock enemies but I like them more when they are, like Nazis and zombies, guilt free kills for the heroes.

Also if it isn't clear thus far, I am not really going to be leaning into the horror aspects of the game. The trappings, sure, but that's all D&D. But I won't be trying to make this a "horror campaign."

making them non-people is the easiest solution to the issue.....imo.

 

[Azzy]

hard to say how that would work in a starving situation.......I mean, some people won't eat dogs or cats, where would you draw the line?

True. Cannibalism has happened in times of food scarcity in the real world. In such a case, the people of Icewind Dale may try to justify eating yetis as them being a different species (and, thus, "not as bad" as eating their own species). If you want to play up the horror aspect, that might be something you could add to the adventure.

 

[Reynard]

True. Cannibalism has happened in times of food scarcity in the real world. In such a case, the people of Icewind Dale may try to justify eating yetis as them being a different species (and, thus, "not as bad" as eating their own species). If you want to play up the horror aspect, that might be something you could add to the adventure.

Most starvation cannibalism results in the eating of people that died of other causes. Hunting a sapient species for food is WAY darker than i would ever want to do for D&D.

 

[Azzy]

Most starvation cannibalism results in the eating of people that died of other causes.

Very true.

Hunting a sapient species for food is WAY darker than i would ever want to do for D&D.

Yeah, it's a bit darker than I want to go, too.

 

[Eltab]

Shoulda thought of this last night:

Yeti Tykes run away after taking any damage. (Think of IRL little kids who get an owie.)
Yeti Tykes run away if "there is more of them than there is of us".
Yeti Tykes hesitate and stay back if The Other Fellow is bigger than they are.

 

[MarkB]

It's a weather effect. Sometimes the refratory effect of the ice and snow can make one big yeti look like three small yetis.

 

[Reynard]

A good rule for me is to try and remember that if something is irredeemably evil it doesn't children. It's made in a vat or bursts forth from a chrysalis or is summoned by a vile rite. Problem solved.

 

[Jfdlsjfd]

If you're introducing cannibalism to your IWD, I guess there will be no problem with making Yeti a part of your diet. I'd say it's easier to eat a sentient other species before eating your own. But cannibalism isn't part of the standard Rime... I wouldn't include fighting children of a sentient species in a regular game. In fact, I don't understand WotC on this: they want to make "monster races" more humanlike by giving them free will and removing the "always evil" tag, and at the same time provide us with a module where the fight with another sentient species involves their children. So far, AFAIK, the "orc baby" problem was a theoretical one. It's seems to be yeti babies and not yeti teenagers BTW, as they "understand yeti but can't speak" (and they have a cute picture). Infants, by definition. Happy hunting!